Umbrella

ABSTRACT

A three-stage umbrella of the telescopic type in which all of the support members for the dome ribs nest one into the other to form a compact umbrella of small outer dimensions when folded and an auxiliary link forms one side of the quadrilateral supporting structure which is bent so as to provide a resilience when the dome ribs are open causing the link to be under tension and also giving the support structure and dome ribs an initial pivoting movement when it is required to open the umbrella from a closed compact position.

United States Patent Weber [s41 UMBRELLA [72] Inventor: Heinz Weber, Rhineland, Germany [73] Assignee: Telesco Bropbey Limited, East Montreal, Canada [22 Filed: Feb. 5, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 112,916

[so Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 5, 1970 Germany ..P 20 05 149.4

[52 us. Cl ..13s/2o, 135/25 [51] lot. or. ..A45b 19/08 531 Field of Search ..13s/20-s1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,775,977 1/1957 Haupt ..135/31 I Dec. 12, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 868,653 2/1953 Germany ..135/26 Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell Attorney-Alan Swabey [5 7] ABSTRACT A three-stage umbrella of the telescopic type in which all of the support members for the dome ribs nest one into the other to form a compact umbrella of small outer dimensions when folded and an auxiliary link forms one side of the quadrilateral supporting structure which is bent so as to provide a resilience when the dome ribs are open causing the link to be under tension and also giving the support structure and dome ribs an initial pivoting movement when it is required to open the umbrella from a closed compact position.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures FIG) FIG"? INVENTOR Heinz WEBER BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present invention relates to umbrellas, and particularly to an umbrella having a telescopic stick and three-stage telescopic dome ribs.

2. Description of Prior Art Reference is made to applicants copending application Ser. No. 035,184, filed May 6, 1970.

The present invention is an improvement over the structure shown in applicants copending application in that it renders the three-stage umbrella still more compact and yet the stability of the support structure is maintained when the umbrella is in an open position. For instance, in the above-mentioned three-stage umbrella, the folded support structure, although it is nested together, lies on the outside of the main runner which increases the outer diameter of the folded umbrella.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to provide an umbrella having a reduced outer diameter in a closed position by improving the nesting features of the support structure, and by arranging the main runner such that the support structure does not coincide with it when it is in a folded closed condition.

A construction in accordance with the present invention includes an umbrella having a telescopic stick, a crown at one end of the stick, and dome ribs hinged to the crown. The dome ribs include three parts, each part telescopic in the other. The main runner is provided for sliding movement on the stick and an auxiliary runner slides between the crown and the main runner. The support structure is articulated to the auxiliary runner and the main runner to support the dome ribs in an open position. The support structure includes a stretcher member made up of two articulated parts with the end of one part hingedly connected to the dome ribs and the end of the other part being hingedly connected to the auxiliary runner. A strut member is hinged to the main runner and a link member is connected to the strut member and to the free end of the stretcher member part hinged to the dome ribs forming a quadrilateral structure with the stretcher member. Each of the parts forming the support structure are of U-shaped construction and one part is adapted to nest in the other. The auxiliary link is adapted to be seated in the strut and the articulated stretcher member when folding terminates above the main runner.

It is of advantage to make the auxiliary link out of a resilient material such that when the umbrella is being opened, it is under tension and will give resiliency.

I In the specific embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary dome rib is provided with a bent portion and is made out of spring-like wire such that the bentlike portion will provide the required resilience.

Further, to improve the nesting of the various parts, the U-shaped legs of the strut are recessed at a point coincident with the pivot pin, articulating the stretcher member parts when the umbrella is in a closed position.

2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, it will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the umbrella frame in an open position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation showing details of the umbrella;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section taken along lines IIIIII OF FIG. 2,;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the umbrella frame in a closed position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of details shown in FIG. 4, partly in cross section; and

FIG. 6 is a radial cross section taken along lines VI-- VI of FIG. 5.

The telescopic umbrella shown in the enclosed drawings includes a telescopic stick 1, comprising tubularstick parts 2, 3 and 3', with the latter being the tube of smallest diameter. Stick 1 is retained in its fully extended position by means of ball-spring catches 4 illustrated in FIG. 1. At the end of the stick part 3' is a handle 5. A crown 9 is fixed to the other end of the stick 1 and dome ribs 6 are hinged about the crown 9. A main runner slides on the umbrella stick 1 and an auxiliary runner slides on the umbrella stick between the main runner 7 and the crown 9.

Each dome rib 6 includes an inner section 6a hinged to the crown, a median section 6b, telescopic within the inner section 6a and outer section 6c which is telescopic in the median section 6b. Whereas a U-shaped cross section is preferred for inner section 6a and median section 6b, the outer section usually comprises a length of steel wire of circular cross section.

Each dome rib 6 is supported by a support structure comprising a stretcher member made of stretcher member parts 10 and 13 which are articulated together about the pivot pin 17 with a portion of the stretcher part 13 extending beyond the pivot pin 17 adapted to seat a portion of the stretcher part 10.

The stretcher part 10 is hinged to the auxiliary runner 8 at its free end. The stretcher part 10 is of U- shaped cross section with the open side of the U facing downwardly in FIG. 2, while the open side of the U of the stretcher part 13 faces upwardly, so that when the umbrella is in a folded condition, the stretcher part 10 will nest in the stretcher part 13. A. strut 11 is hinged to the main runner 7 at one end and to substantially the mid point of the stretcher part 10. The hinge connection is provided by means of pivot pin 14 which extends between the legs of the U-shaped cross section of the stretcher part 10. The strut l l is also of U-shaped cross section with the open side of the U facing downwardly when the umbrella is in an open condition as shown in FIG. 2.

Finally, an auxiliary link 12 is provided with one end hinged to a point spaced a short distance from the pivot pin 14 on the strut 11 and identified at 11'. The other end of the auxiliary link 12 is connected to the end of the stretcher part 13 at 12'. The auxiliary link 12 is adapted to nest within the open side of the U-shaped cross section of the strut 11, when, of course, the umbrella is in a closed position. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary link 12 is made of steel wire since it is mostly in tension.

In order to reduce the outer diameter of the folded closed umbrella, it is essential that the stretcher part 13 terminates above the largest cross-sectional diameter of the main runner 7 as shown in FiG. when the umbrella is in a closed condition.

in the particular embodiment shown, the hinge connection of the auxiliary link 12 with the strut 11 is provided by indentations at 11 in the walls of the U- shaped legs of the strut l1 and the end of the auxiliary link 12 curls so as to fit over the connection formed by the indentations 11' as shown in FIG. 3.

Furthermore, the strut 11 is provided with recesses 11" in the U-shaped legs of the strut 11 which are coincident with the location of the pivot pin 17 articulating the stretcher members and 13 so that when the umbrella is being folded the pivot pin 17 will enter the recess 11", thereby reducing the outer dimensions of the closed umbrella.

Auxiliary link 12 as shown in the drawings is stepped at 12" and includes kinks 12" and 12" as shown in the drawings. This bent or stepped portion of the auxiliary link 12 provides for the resilience required when the umbrella is opened to a fully open position and the auxiliary link 12 is under tension.

. Furthermore, when the umbrella is in a closed position, the auxiliary link 12 is seated within the U-shaped confines of the strut'member 11 and stretcher member 10. in a fully closed position, of course, the strut portion 12" of the auxiliary link 12 is wider than the confined space between the stretcher part 10 and the strut 11 and, therefore, tends to push the two parts, that is, the strut 11 and the stretcher part 10 apart. When it is required to open the umbrella, the dome ribs are simply released and the auxiliary link 12 forces the initial pivoting of the dome ribs by means of forcing the strut ll'and the stretcher part 10 apart.

Iclaim:

1. An umbrella having a telescopic stick, a crown at one end of the stick, with dome ribs hinged to the crown, each dome rib having three telescopic portions and a support structure supporting the dome ribs in an open position; a main runner slidable on the stick and an auxiliary runner slidable between the main runner and the crown; a support structure comprising an articulated stretcher member hinged at one end to the auxiliary runner and at the other end to the dome ribs; a strut member hinged at one end to the main runner and at the other end to the part of the stretcher member hinged to the auxiliary runner; an auxiliary link connecting the strut member to the part of the stretcher member hinged to the dome ribs forming a quadrilateral structure between the strut member and the stretcher member part, the length of the stretcher member parts being such that when the umbrella is folded, the end of the stretcher member parts is above the largest cross section of the main runner, and wherein the auxiliary link includes a stepped portion providing resilience when the umbrella is being opened and the auxiliary link is under tension, and further providing means for initiating the opening of the umbrella, when the dome ribs are released and the umbrella is in a closed position.

2. An umbrella as defined in claim 1, wherein the stretcher member includes two articulated parts with one part articulated to the auxiliarg member and the other part to the outer section of t e dome ribs, each stretcher member and strut being of U-shaped cross section such that when the umbrella is folded, the part of the stretcher member hinged to the auxiliary runner is nested within the part of the stretcher member hinged to the dome ribs and the strut member is nested within the confines of the stretcher member part hinged to the auxiliary runner, while the auxiliary link is retained in the confines of the strut member and the stretcher member part hinged to the auxiliary runner, thereby tending to force the strut member and the stretcher member part hinged to the auxiliary runner apart by initiating the pivoting movement of the dome ribs towards an open position. 

1. An umbrella having a telescopic stick, a crown at one end of the stick, with dome ribs hinged to the crown, each dome rib having three telescopic portions and a support structure supporting the dome ribs in an open position; a main runner slidable on the stick and an auxiliary runner slidable between the main runner and the crown; a support structure comprising an articulated stretcher member hinged at one end to the auxiliary runner and at the other end to the dome ribs; a strut member hinged at one end to the main runner and at the other end to the part of the stretcher member hinged to the auxiliary runner; an auxiliary link connecting the strut member to the part of the stretcher member hinged to the dome ribs forming a quadrilateral structure between the strut member and the stretcher member part, the length of the stretcher member parts being such that when the umbrella is folded, the end of the stretcher member parts is above the largest cross section of the main runner, and wherein the auxiliary link includes a stepped portion providing resilience when the umbrella is being opened and the auxiliary link is under tension, and further providing means for initiating the opening of the umbrella, when the dome ribs are released and the umbrella is in a closed position.
 2. An umbrella as defined in claim 1, wherein the stretcher member includes two articulated parts with one part articulated to the auxiliary member and the other part to the outer section of the dome ribs, each stretcher member and strut being of U-shaped cross section such that when the umbrella is folded, the part of the stretcher member hinged to the auxiliary runner is nested within the part of the stretcher member hinged to the dome ribs and the strut member is nested within the confines of the stretcher member part hinged to the auxiliary runner, while the auxiliary link is retained in the confines of the strut member and the stretcher member part hinged to the auxiliary runner, thereby tending to force the strut member and the stretcher member part hinged to the auxiliary runner apart by initiating the pivoting movement of the dome ribs towards an open position. 